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vanfox12
Reviews
The Adventures of Swiss Family Robinson (1998)
I personally liked it. Good Family viewing.
I feel i must reply to the most recent review of this calling it totally unimaginative. Personally i felt that this version of the book was a good adaptation and original in the fact that it was set out over 30 episodes (by the way all 30 episodes are featured on the DVD albeit there are 10 parts with each set over 3 25 minute episodes. Okay lets get one thing very clear this wasn't ever going to win an EMMY but then its aimed at a family TV audience. While i accept some of the accents are poor especially the Children's accents i don't think the acting is any worse than some of the stuff that is produced in North America some of the TV movies produced there are awful. In many respects it was interesting to find out how a family used to the comforts of civilisation would cope if they became marooned on a desert island and while it is unlikely that in a real situation they would come across all the things that happen to them it is still good viewing and i feel that Richard Thomas gives a good performance as David Thomas as does Margo Gunn as his wife Elizabeth and the chemistry between them seems genuine. There are also good performances from Charlotte Woolams as Joanna and Gareth Howells as Ben. While KC Kelly and Jeffrey Thomas ham it up as the villains of the piece.
I have watched this on DVD a number of times and i still enjoy watching it and while some may find it slightly naive it does teach us the importance of family and working together when the going gets tough in order to survive.
Taggart: Cold Blood (1987)
Classic Episode that deserves a second look.
I was too young to remember this first time round but i do sort of recall seeing this episode when it was first shown back in 1987. I came across this episode again having bought the DVD for this off Amazon. The main reason for this is that it featured an actress called Margo Gunn who has since featured in two more episodes since with the most recent being The Knife Trick in 2009 and having seen her other appearance in Instrument of Justice (1993) was keen to look at this episode again as far as i am aware it hasn't been repeated on TV since.
This is a classic Taggart episode with a classic twist. A jealous wife Ruth Wilson(Diane Keene) supposedly kills her husband in Cold Blood because she suspects he is having an affair while away on business with Geraldine Keenan (Margo Gunn). Of course we find that this is untrue and in fact he was dead before she shot him six times. However we then find that she did indeed kill him but not with a gun but she had stabbed him in the back and had gone back to finish the job as it were in order to get herself off. Add to this Diane Keene's character having an affair with Geraldine Keenans Brother Rikki who is former friend and associate of Mr Wilson and a petty thief plus a Chinese connection and you have the ingredients for a classic Taggart. As always Mark Mcmanus is his consummate self and the supporting cast are all excellent. As i say a classic episode that deserves a second viewing.